One reason all were NHL free agents (who couldn’t merit NHL contracts) is size. Klassen is listed at 5’10, Beck at 5’11 and both have weight in sub-180 pounds. Atley is listed at 6’0” and 193, officially, but official listings don’t always make true.

All have been elite scorers at the Canadian junior level, but history is rife with players whose production doesn’t translate as the competition level ratchets up in the pros. Pittsburgh’s prospect pool isn’t deep, which makes for a no-loss situation to bring in a few talented, young players to round out the AHL or even ECHL roster next season and see if any can rise to the opportunity and merit a longer look in the organization.

The most famous recent and pertinent example of AHL contract to NHL contributor for the Pens is the case of Conor Sheary. Sheary signed an AHL contract for 2014-15, played very well as an AHL rookie (45 points in 58 games, 12 points in eight playoff games) and before you know it Sheary was up on the biggest stage of all scoring a Stanley Cup Final overtime goal in 2016 as a Sidney Crosby winger.

Needless to say, Sheary’s anecdotal evidence represents the exception and not the rule for a best case scenario for an AHL contract blossoming into something more, but adding these types of players can be seen as a numbers game. The more you bring in, the bigger a chance that something pans out. This new crop might not have a career with $20 million in earnings, a couple Stanley Cups and a long run in the NHL, but it’s something to shoot for.